As part of the New York State mandate to conduct testing of our schools’ drinking water, schools must identify all outlets that are or may be used for drinking or cooking.

The collection of 591 water samples was performed by School District staff on 03/16/2021 and 3/17/2021 following the requirements of NYS regulations as well as USEPA Technical Guidance Document “3-T’s for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools.”

The water samples were analyzed by an independent laboratory approved by the NYS Department of Health’s Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (ELAP) following strict chain-of-custody protocols.

The laboratory results find that 103 sources of potential potable water in District buildings have been identified as having lead concentrations above the NYS Action Level of 15 parts per billion. To comply with NYS regulations, response actions are required by the District.  We are pleased to report that all drinking fountains and bottle-fill stations district-wide were below the Action Level and all sources that tested above the Action Level (all of which being sinks) have previously been labeled as non-potable and not considered primary consumption points.  

Below is a summary of the sources themed, by function, where lead levels exceeded the NYS Action Level of 15 parts per billion. The entire testing report prepared by Stohl Environmental is also available below for reference.

Classroom sinks – 55

Bathroom sinks – 32

Locker Room sinks – 7

Kitchen or Kitchenette Sinks – 5

Office sinks – 4

Unless otherwise requested by the occupants of the location, sinks with results greater than the action level were labeled as non-potable or taken out of service. Remediation occurred where occupants requested the source to be potable. For the instances where results exceed 100 parts per billion, the sinks will be flushed and retested during the summer of 2021.

These results have been uploaded to the State Health Department database and results and remediation action plans have shared with our County Health Department and Monroe County Water Authority.

We have no indication that what we are experiencing is cause for concern.

If you have any questions, please contact Lou Alaimo, Assistant Superintendent for Administration, at Lou_Alaimo@bcsd.org or 242-5200 ext. 5510.